Wire stretchers



Dec. 6, 1955 Filed May 12, 1952 J. VALENTA WIRE STRETCHERS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTDR JOHN V/ILE/VT/l Maww J. VALENTA WIRE STRETCHERSDec. 6. 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1952 INVENTOH JOHN VALENTA2,725,903 I WIRE STRETCHERS John Valenta, Kitchener, Ontario, CanadaApplication May 12, 1952, Serial No. 287,444 1 Claim. -(Cl. 140-1236)This invention relates to apparatus for tensioning or tightening tiewires such as used for holding in proper relationship the parts of theforms used to receive concrete in constructing concrete Walls, and alsofor tensioning and tying binding or reinforcing wires used to encirclepacking cases, crates or other structures.

Usually the application, tensioning and tying of such wires has involvedthe use of a plurality of separate tools and the object of the presentinvention is to devise a tool which will include and combine in aconvenient arrang'ement all the parts necessary for the carrying outsuccessfully'by one person and with aminimum of trouble all the stepsinvolved in the wiring of such wall forms or other structures. Theseoperations include the preliminary tightening up of the wire, thesevering of the wire from the roll, and the final tightening of the tiewire by twisting together the ends thereof.

A further object is to devise a tool which is comparatively inexpensive,of sufliciently light weight to enable it to be handled easily, and alsosutficiently small to be used in restricted space.

These and other objects which will hereinafter appear are attained bymeans of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of theimproved tool;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the work-engaging member;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the upper part of the tool;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper part of the tool;

Fig. 6 is a side view of wire pulling means;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of part of the wire-pulling means;

Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of means;

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the tool used in conjunc' tion with a formfor molding a concrete wall;

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the tool used for applying a bindingor reinforcing wire around a box or other structure; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the wire cutter.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

In Fig. 9 the tool is shown as used for tightening and tying areinforcing or tie wire for a form into which concrete for a wall is tobe poured. 1 indicates the facing boards and 2 the upright posts. A wire3 usually extends across the gap between the facing boards, through orbetween the spacing boards and passed around the posts, and the ends ofthe wire tied together. It is important that the facing boards beuniformly spaced apart, and spacer bars are usually provided for thispurpose.

It is also important that the form he firmly held against spreadingapart during the filling of the form, and the purpose of the wires 3 isto prevent this spreading. It

part of the tool showing the part of the wire-pulling ice is importanttherefore that the wires should be drawn up or tensioned suflicientlytightly form in proper relationship. I V

The tool comprises a shank 4. At opposite sides of this shank arepositioned the arms 5 and 6. The shank 4 and arms 5 and 6 are securedtogether by a screw 8, and a hand grip 7 is secured at each side of theshank. The arms 5 and 6 within the handle are each shaped to provide afulcrum 9a on which the arm may rock. The upper ends of the arms, as aresult of this construction, normally tend to lie away from the shank.The upper ends of the arms are provided with inwardly directed clampingjaws 9 and 10, the ends of which are knurled or otherwise roughened ortoothed to provide a good gripping surface. The corresponding portionsof the shank 4 opposite the ends of the jaws are also knurled orotherwise roughened as shown.

Extending through the shank 4 and arms 5 and 6 is a threaded rod 11, andon the outer ends of this rod are threaded clamping nuts 12 and 13. Thisthreaded rod is held from rotation by a pin 27. By screwing theseclamping nuts towards the arms, the latter are moved'to force the jaws 9and 10 towards the shank 4.

The shank 4 has a head on its upper end, which includes a fixed disk 15and a work-engaging member 14 rotatably mounted on the disk. Thework-engaging member 14 is provided with a ferrule 16 thereon providedwith an inwardly directed flange which underlies the disk 15.

The disk is provided with two holes 18 for the passage of the wire,while the work-engaging member 14 is provided with a central cavity orrecess 17 in which the twisting of the portions of the wire above theholes 18 may be effected. The work-engaging member 14 is provided with acomparatively deep V-shaped groove 19 extending across its face, andalso a smaller groove 20 arranged at right angles thereto.

Rotatable in a socket formed in a shoulder 21 formed on the side of theshank 4 is a wire cutter 22, the projecting end of which is shaped toform a cutting edge 23. This cutter is shown more particularly in Fig.11. At its other end the cutter has a lever arm 24 thereon by means ofwhich it may be rocked. On the side of the shank 4 is secured a slottedquadrant 2.5, into the slot of which extends a pin 26 on the side of thelever arm 24, which thus limits the extent of movement of said lever armand therefore also the movement of the cutter 22. 7

On a support 28 secured to the side of the shank 4 above the handle 7 ispivoted at 37 a wire pulling device, which comprises a lever member 29on which is pivoted a second lever member 30. The lever member 29 isprovided with a gripping post 31, which is provided with a recess 32 inits side. The other lever member 30 is provided with a post 31*, whichextends through a slot 36 in the lever member 29 and is provided with alaterally extending projection 33 which is adapted to extend into therecess 32 to clamp the wire 34, which is indicated in full lines in Fig.6 and in dotted lines in Fig. 7.

The wire 34, drawn from a roll 35, is threaded upwardly between the jaw10 and shank 4, through one of the holes 18 in the disk 15, passedaround the work or form as indicated in Fig. 9, then threaded backthrough the other hole 18 in the disk 15 and between the jaw 9 and shank4. The clamping nut 12 is tightened up to clamp the wire between the jaw9 and shank 4 so that the end of the wire cannot be drawn back. The wirepuller is then engaged with the wire leading from the roll by grippingthe wire between the gripping projection 33 and the bottom of the recess32. By rocking the wire puller as a whole on the pivot 37, any slackwire is drawn back. If one operation of the wire puller is not enough,one or more fresh gn'ps may be taken further up on the wire to hold theparts of the as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and the pulleragain rocked to effect any necessary tightening.

As soon as the wire about the work or structure being bound is drawnsuificiently tight, it may beheld right byturning down the clamping nut13. to cause the jaw 10, to.

clamp the wire against the shank-4.

By. rocking the-lever arm 24, the wire is severed by-the cutting edge 23on thecutter- 22-. The tool is then rotated.

relative to the work-engaging member 14, which, latter is held fromrotation. by the engagement of the corner of the upright 2 .in thegroove; .19 asindicated in Fig. 9, and

the portions of the wire in the cavity or recess 17 are.

While-the tool is of particular advantage for wiring,

together concrete forms, it is also, useful for applying binding wireabout packing cases or other structures. In Fig. 10 the toolisshownasused in applying a binding wire about arectangular structure38. The tool is usedinsubstantially the same way as above described. The

work-engaging member 14 of the head is held from rotation duringthetwisting operation by engaging the structure-encirclingwireinthegroove 20;

What is .claimedis:

A Wire stretching tool comprisingra main supporting shank having aforward end and a rear end, the forward end provided 'with two generallyparallel side faces oppositely disposed with respectzfto thelongitudinal axis of the shank, a hand grip on the rear end of theshank, a work engaging head rotatably supported on the forward end ofthe shank to turn about the longitudinal axis thereof, said head being.centrally apertured to provide a passageway for wire and beingopen tosaid side faces, a pair of wire engaging clamps; eachiincluding a jawintegral with an arm capable of flexing, said arm extending alongside ofthe shank toward the rear end thereof, said arm being fulcrumedzonz theshank near its rear end and being secured to the shank under tensionrearwardly of the fulcrum, a rod transversely extending from the shankand freely passing through the distal end of the shank, and a knobscrewed on the outer end of the rod and bearing on the arm for screwadjustment to close the jaw.

UNITED STATES PATENTS ReferencesCited. in thefile of this patent 540,634Chipman' June 11, 1895 1,181,629 Barron May 2, 1916 2,048,437 DolsonJuly 21, 1936 2,455,609 Scheib Dec. 7, 1948 2,494,832 Piper Jan. 17,1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,873; Netherlands Jane 16, 1924 579,288 GreatBritain July 30, 1946

